Her Greatest Fear
by crazypandagirl
Summary: Harriet Potter has been the Mistress of Death for several thousand years, and has helped many, but tried to keep her distance. She is the only immortal being, and her eternal companion Death himself, her friend, servant, and protector. She has yet to find her mate, but when she finds Riddick, she warms up to the the mortals around her in time for the eclipse. Fem!HarryxRiddick
1. Chapter 1

Okay, since I've yet to see any fem!Harry(Jamie)xRiddick pairings, here we go. I've been finding that I'm not so into writing for specific character views anymore, though I can and will if I am asked to do so or just in the mood for it, but at the very least, the prologues should have specific POVs. And please take a peek at my profile, I have a request there either now, or I will soon. Thanks a million.

I don't own either Harry Potter or Chronicles of Riddick.

Jamie POV

As I step on board the Hunter-Gratzner, I hear the irritated grumbling of some blonde guy dressed up as a cop dragging a somewhat familiar figure, one that I could swear I saw floating around some shady people several years ago, with a stance I know I ought to recognize. Maybe a convict, just caught like Sirius was never supposed to have been several lonely millennia ago? Could he be innocent, and just an easy person to lock up and point the finger at like me after the war?

I sigh to myself quietly. I don't need to worry myself over matters like this. I don't even need to remember the pain of all those years ago, even though I hardly remember any of it now beyond the basic facts, and important names. I guess that's one of the worst things about being the Mistress of Death: losing everyone right before my eyes without being able to follow them, and forget them after long enough.

I guess that's why I move around so much, and go into hiding for years before rearranging my name and entering society once more. Maybe I'm just afraid to lose anyone else to death.

 _But you know they are all just three turns of the ring away, Mistress,_ Death whispers temptingly in my ear, hidden as always from all, though rarely from myself.

 _They deserve their rest, Death, and they have all moved on. It's high time I learn to do it myself,_ I mutter to him in our easy mental communication.

"Lady Jamie Lillian Evans?" a familiar captain's voice calls out to me from ahead.

I look up and smile slightly. "Hello Jay," I call back softly, barely loud enough for him to hear me.

He actually looks… sheepish, maybe even nervous. "Jamie, listen, I had a last minute passenger with a request to use a special cryo-pod, and… it's right next to yours. It was the cop that you were just looking at a moment ago, says he's caught _the_ Riddick, and we're the first ship leaving to fit his budget."

"And you're worried that I won't like having the convict right next to me as I sleep?" I ask as he falls silent.

He nods slowly. "Yeah, just wanted to know if you would rather I switch your pod with the one the cop has, in case you don't like the arrangements."

I shake my head with a slight chuckle. "I know these types of men, and I've never done anything to or against this Riddick. I have no problems with him being my neighbor for the trip Jay, no need to worry."

He breathes a deep sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Listen, I'll make sure that you're compensated-"

I put up my hand to stop him. "I don't need anything in return. I'll just have a quick word with this officer, and Riddick, before we take off. I'll just ask that neither of them give me reason to… silence them."

He shivers at the dark promise. "I'll let Officer Johns know you want to speak to the both of them before they get situated. If you'll just follow me?"

He leads me into his merchant ship, and I greet the prospector couple, Shazza and Zeke, that I helped get passage on this vessel. They thank me again, but I wave them off as we continue to where Johns is having a hard time dealing with his stubborn criminal, who's refusing to enter the cryo-pod without a fight.

Jay clears his throat, stopping the struggle for the moment, catching the attention of both men. "Pardon, but this young lady would like to have a word with the two of you before you get situated."

The officer sneers at me. "What do you want?"

I glare at him, making him recoil from what I know to be one of my more terrifying, icy glares. "I wanted to speak to the both of you, not just you, _Officer,_ " I drawl, nodding to the captive. "I would like to have the both of you able to see and respond to me, if you please." The tall, heavily muscled, and admittedly attractive criminal turns his head slowly towards me, both blindfolded and stuck with an awful bit in his mouth, head tilted in what I hope is interest on his painfully familiar features. Seeing Johns not moving to obey me, I slowly reach up, and up, to raise the blindfold to his forehead, my breath almost catching at my eyes meet his squinted silvery eyes. I remember that eyes like these are perfect for night vision, making it nearly impossible to see without some form of eye protection in the light.

Seeing that Riddick isn't attacking me, Johns reluctantly removes the bit from his mouth, allowing him to move his jaw around to ease the soreness that must have been bothering him. "Well kid?" Riddicks asks in a low voice, gravelly from possible disuse for too long. "You wanted to talk, so talk."

I smirk in amusement and cross my arms. "Yes, I just had a question or two for you, handsome," I almost purr, obviously bothering poor Johns as I practically flirt with another male right in front of him. "Will you be causing any kind of problems for me, as I'll be asleep in the pod right next to you?"

He smirks back, and raises a brow at me. "I dunno, you worried about something in particular?"

I drop all manner of amusement from my expression. "I don't want there to be any trouble during this trip. Will you at least agree not to cause me any problems?"

"I dunno, might have to bother you to see what happens," he says with a shrug, eyeing me carefully.

"Just so you get the idea, Mr. Riddick, I don't need any more trouble in my life. I just want to not have you be at the root of any kind of my troubles." I gaze straight into his eyes, but address Johns. "And you too Officer. I would like for you to make sure that you and your laws don't bother me on this trip."

He splutters, and I can see from the corner of my eyes his fingers are twitching towards his spare set of handcuffs. "Wouldn't do that if I were you, Officer," Jay pipes up, stepping up to block my line of sight with Johns. "I wouldn't want to have a bigger mess on board my ship than what you've already caused."

"Mess?" he asks in outrage.

"Yes, a mess. I had to ask that a regular client of mine give up his pod for you to take Riddick with you, and now you are close to threatening one of my most important investors as well," he growls.

Riddick whistles and blinks slowly. "Rich kid huh? Parent's money, or the lottery?"

I step closer with a smirk, and raise myself to stand on my toes as he lowers his ear a few inches. "Guess I'll leave you guessing, hm?" I ask, then press a quick kiss to his cheek, before stepping back.

His smirk gains an almost predatory spark, making me hold back a shiver. "I think I'll just see what happens, little Minx."

"I didn't expect any less," I chirp, before backing closer to my pod. "Oh, and Officer Johns?" I call, seeing Death's silhouette lingering behind the man, making rude gestures and imitating gruesome ways to kill the man.

"What?" he asks almost timidly as he puts the bit back into Riddick's mouth.

I give him a glare that I know promises pain, and calms Death significantly. "Watch yourself in the future. I don't know much, but I know you are trouble." I then lighten my mood with a childish grin and wave to all three men. "I'll see all of you at the end of the trip!" I then secure my small, bottomless bag across my chest and allow Jay to help me strap into the pod's restraints.

"You sure you don't want to trade with that cop?" he whispers as he tests the straps.

I nod quickly. "I'm sure about it. I mean, he can't be that bad, right?"

He hesitates for a moment, before giving me a world-weary sigh. "Very well then." He steps back with a nod and takes the two door panels in hand. "You're all set, Jamie, so I'll see you when I come to wake you up. You're sure you have everything?" he asks with a quick flick of the eyes to what he knows is my bottomless bag, a beaded purse the size of a small book.

"I checked several times, so I'm sure. And Jay?" I ask as the doors are almost completely closed, catching his attention as I see Death standing behind him, almost sadly if his posture is anything to go by. "Thanks for this."

He smiles. "Anything for you. Sweet dreams… _Harriet,"_ he breathes my birth name, just as the doors seal shut, and he activates the systems, slowly blurring my vision as I fall into an empty sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

No POV

Death watches over his mistress as she slumbers, knowing that after so long, though she wishes to pass on, he will keep her from doing so. Maybe because he's never had a Master or Mistress, though the previous candidates were definitely not people he would ever want to have served for the rest of time. They had all been too… pompous, flaunting what was rightly his power, that they had somehow gained the control of for however brief a time.

But Harriet… or Jamie for now… she is so much different.

She grew up with a less than caring uncle and cousin who always wanted to beat her, but an aunt that refused to allow a single dark, fiery hair on her head to touched. In truth, this aunt had wanted a daughter for years, and was glad that, when she lost her sister forever, she at least got to have a niece to care for. But her husband feared the child's magic, to the point she was given no choice but to teach the poor child to do the chores, and teach her in secret, while giving the image of an uncaring, jealous woman. But the woman, for the small things she tried to do for the girl as she grew, was granted the chance to go on to live with her sister in the afterlife upon her own death. Her foolish husband and son, for wishing all the harm on his Mistress as a child, had suffered in agony when their time came in a car accident years later before dying, whereas the woman had not even felt a thing.

And now, he watched over his Mistress, the only one worthy of his respect and protection. She hadn't wanted the powers of becoming his Mistress, but had accepted him after a short time, and didn't use his powers as he had expected her to. Rather, all she usually asked was for him to ease the passing of those who deserved it, and to not mislead her. He hadn't thought any person to be so kind towards that which could destroy their lives without hurting them in the least, but she had proven him wrong. This was why he had aided her through the betrayals of the Wizarding World, and helped her to hide among the faceless crowds, and did her bidding without question, for she hardly ever called upon him for anything but an unbiased opinion.

But now, he could feel the imminent destruction, and knew he would be collecting the souls of many on this vessel. Something outside was not right, something that would test his ability to protect his Mistress and friend. And then he sensed it, danger to the Captain she has called friend for many years, one of the few she has trusted with her secrets. A man who she had befriended when he was still a teen a few decades ago.

Not just the danger to the captain, but to most of the passengers. Of course, he would protect the few who could prove to be of some use to his Jamie soon, but they would be few, and might not survive the even greater danger they would soon face. By the time the alarm went off, he had tampered with the captain's pod to keep him asleep, and numbed him to the pain of the comet fragments just before they struck. He felt regret for not being able to protect the man, whom he had also come to respect, but he would be offered a place with his Mistress's friends and family once they said their goodbyes.

Alas, when the ship began to fall apart, he could not bring himself to kill the fake cop, who he knew she would need for his ability to calm the others he saved and to plan, but he regrets not at least hurting the filthy addict. But his main goal in all his existence was nearly destroyed by all the flying debris. Almost as if everything had slowed down as the ship bounced a final time, the sharpest of the debris shook loose and flew towards his Jamie, and her neighbor. Pulling his powers from the Hollows he had been given permission to use, he redirects the deadly metal to merely damage the man's pod, ensuring that he can escape easily once they've stopped moving.

But the shrapnel still threatens his Mistress. In her pod, just as she had awoken, she had been thrown around enough to hit her head, badly enough to fall back into unconsciousness, oblivious to the danger flying towards her prone body. He could only do so much at once, so while saving the man, he was only able to redirect the debris aimed at her to mostly miss her, but failed to keep one from punching through the glass and into her side. Still she didn't respond to what had to be an agonizing wound, though not life-threatening in outward appearance.

As the ship finally jerks to a halt, he calls the souls of all the dead passengers to him, and sends them through a portal to the afterlife, having known that they would not realize they were dead yet. Some of them old, many in their adulthood, and the sad few children he couldn't save from himself. His work done, he fades into the background, collecting the restless souls of those who still wandered the planet after their untimely deaths many years ago.

Riddick POV

I was certain those sharp bits of metal would at least scratch me, but they all seemed to just damage the pod I'm stuck in, breaking the useless cryo-tech that didn't put me to sleep. The door's broken too, and I find myself out of that tiny piece of shit that didn't do a thing to pass the time. I can smell blood, odd for dead people stuck inside of sealed pods. And the source is close, so close, and very familiar… almost like I'm right on top of it…

Through a new rip in my blindfold, I can see the damaged pod the girl took right next to mine, and I can see her labored breathing, and the blood staining her nice clothes. I don't know if she's gonna make it, but I figure I owe her, for pissing off Johns the way she did back when we boarded. I dunno what it is about her, but I want to help her, the scent of her blood overwhelming, and the scent of her underneath that coppery substance is the most beautiful I've smelled in a long time. Even though I already confirmed it with my eyes when she raised the blindfold before, it's something else to smell it on top of that. But what in the hell is it about her that I can't think of…?

Even if there's not much I can do with my hands chained, I grab the upper panel of her pod door and wrench it open, finding it to be easy from all the damage. But the lower one is a bitch to open, making me nearly pull a muscle in my arm before it opens enough to get to her. I pull off the blindfold and look at her carefully, lifting my hands to the long shard of metal pinning her to the pod, but not over anything vital. I brace myself and pull that piece of shit out of her, earning a pained whimper as she wakes up, her glowing eyes somehow showing up green to my mostly purple, pink, black, and red vision.

"Ngh…" she breathes, her almost glowing green eyes opening the slightest amount as I press on the wound in her side. "R-Riddick?" she whimpers.

Damn Johns and this bit!

"You have t-to hide… he's wa-waking up…" she trails off, reaching up with a shaking hand to undo her restraints, similar to the seatbelts of ancient Earth cars. She presses the red release button, and falls right into me, slumped and panting as I lower her to the ground by her arm. "Go Riddick…" she whispers as she falls unconscious once more.

I take her advice, and with a curious gaze back to her well-clothed, but bloody body, go deeper into the ship, finding a good hiding place among the pipes above a slightly clear path in the broken ship.

Jamie POV

Hands, rough and callused from hard work, press down on my injured side, as a woman's voice calls gently to me.

"Hey, are you in there?" an accented voice, so similar to those of ancient Australia, pulls me back into consciousness, pain lancing through my skull.

I groan at the pain all over me, and force my eyes open, finding it to be Shazza putting pressure on an injury in my side. "What the bloody hell happened?" I groan, forcing my eyes to stay open.

"I'm not sure, Jamie," she mutters, before cursing under her breath. "I can't stop this bleeding, but it's not gushing." She meets my gaze almost sheepishly. "Maybe you could try asking that friend of yours to help with this?"

I hiss as I try to shift. "I guess I should, huh?" _Death, would you mind?_ I ask, almost hesitantly.

 _Of course, Mistress. Please have the woman step back._

"Shazza, stand back so he can take care of it," I order her, and she obeys almost without thought.

The injury seals within seconds, not leaving even a scar, but does leave a small sting to remind me of where I had been injured, before the horrid headache vanishes. _You are healed now, Mistress._

 _Thank you, Death,_ I whisper, before taking the hand Shazza offers me. "Thanks for that, Shazza."

"You're welcome. But we have more problems than that, I'm afraid, including the fact you are covered in your own blood," she informs me with a gesture. I look down to find that my shirt has been torn in multiple places along the sides and up the sleeves, and my pants are only in slightly better condition, though both are stained with a generous amount of blood. "Maybe you ought to clean yourself up a bit, or change clothes."

"I'll agree with you on that," I sigh, picking at the hem of the ruined shirt. "At least I have a few options, but I'm thinking not to bother with any kind of attempt to save this outfit. What kind of environment are we looking at?"

Her lip curls a bit in disgust. "A desert by the look of things. When I stepped outside, there were two suns, and the air was rather thin."

I wince as I reach into my bag, silently calling for light pants and shirt. "Please tell me there isn't much sand in this one?" I ask as I pull out the tan cargo pants and light blue hooded vest.

"Thankfully no. The ground is a bit soft under the surface, but it's mostly gravel on the top." I sigh in relief, and allow her to help me peel off the ruined blouse, wiping off as much of the blood as possible before I pull out my wand, wordlessly casting a silent _scourgify_ to clean myself a little more. "There are also a handful of other survivors, but the docking pilot, Carolyn Fry, said the Captain didn't make it. And the Nav Officer, Owens, is somehow still alive, but not for much longer, so she kicked us out when we couldn't get the anestaphine for him."

I bite my lip, feeling a slight stinging in my eyes for the loss of two great men, among dozens more that I know didn't make it in what I know to be the crash landing. "Anyone else?" I ask as I pull on the shirt, using her hand for balance as I kick off my boots before peeling off the formal black pants, and clean my legs with another charm.

"There's four children that made it, Zeke and I, that cop, Fry, an antique dealer, a priest, and Riddick, besides yourself. We don't know if anyone else made it, but we were rather reluctant to hope after looking at how long the crash site spans," she murmurs as I pull on my fresh pants and retie my boots. "There's only twelve of us that made it, Jamie."

I close my eyes, realizing how bad the losses were. Out of the forty-three people aboard this vessel, only twelve made it. "So many gone…" I whisper.

She shakes her head. "I could hardly believe it myself. Imam and his boys are praying for the dead, and for guidance outside. Maybe I ought to introduce you to them while the others root around in the cargo bay for supplies." She begins to lead me out, and we pass Riddick, chained to both the floor and around a support beam, bit and blindfold back in place. "Zeke and I wanted to see about rigging up something to help with breathing in this thin air as well, if you wanted to try and help us."

I give her a wry grin. "You don't seem to remember my talent for mechanics, do you?"

She shudders in memory. "I had almost forgotten that. Maybe you could find something else to keep yourself occupied."

"Yeah, I'll just go and introduce myself to… Imam, you said?" I clarify.

"Yes, Imam and his three sons. Suleiman is the oldest, then Hassan, and his youngest is Ali. I told them I was worried about you when you didn't come out with the others, and he showed some concern."

"Then I would have to just go and tell him that I am perfectly fine." At her look, I pull out a water bottle from the bag for her. "I've got at least four cases with me, and they all refill when they get low. I'll be sure to distribute one to everyone."

She lightens up, but frowns when she doesn't see everyone where they had previously been as we step out. "They must have gone to search the cargo bay while we were in there."

"No problem, this way I can distribute the water to everyone all at once." I offer her a hand. "Want to apparate there?"

She gains a slightly green tinge, but accepts the hand. "Please do it quickly," she mutters, and I pour my attention into reaching just a few feet outside the door to the cargo bay.

The familiar sensation of being forced through a ridiculously small straw takes me over, almost stealing my breath for but a fraction of a second, before I land perfectly in my destination, barely able to hold Shazza upright before she falls over. "You alright?" I ask, as she looks pale and green.

She covers her mouth and breathes through her nose, and I lead her quickly away from the entrance, just in time for her to empty her stomach onto the dry desert floor. I hold her hair back for her, rubbing soothing circles at the base of her neck to try relaxing her extremely tense body. When she finally stops retching, I move her into a shaded space away from the mess, casting a simple cleansing charm over her, before forcing her to rinse with the water.

"I don't think that was such a brilliant idea," she mutters before rinsing her mouth.

"No, I have to agree with that." She rinses once more, before I offer her a breath mint. "Let's see about getting in there and seeing everyone then, hm?"

"Yeah, Zeke's bound to be getting worried about us by now," she agrees, pulling me along into the slightly cooler shade inside the dark cargo bay as I hide the Elder Wand in my bag once more.

We approach who I can only assume to be Imam and his smallest child, Ali, just as a woman calls out, "I don't suppose this would help you any, would it?"

The holy man shakes his head, shoulders slightly drooped with disappointment. "Alas, it is not permitted, especially while on Hajj."

"You do realize there's no water, right?" Johns drawls from within.

"Actually, I do have some water," I pipe up just as Imam is about to answer, catching his attention as I hold out two of my water bottles to him.

"No, I couldn't accept it. You will need it, young one," he denies, though I can see his worry for his children shining in his eyes.

I give him a gentle smile, and hand a bottle to the child with him, before pressing the other into his hand. "I have more than enough for all of us here. Besides, your children need it. If not for you, then accept it for them. They need you as strong as you can be."

Before I can pull my hands away from the bottle, he grasps them in his own. "You are a kind person, to think of others and offer what you have for their sake."

It reminds me of the gratitude I got for defeating Voldemort as a child, but at least for something I can do easily and consciously. "It's nothing to me, as I would rather give aid than not when I have the opportunity." I turn to those within the chamber. "If you would, I'll give each of you a bottle now." Then I spot the large number of bottles of booze in a clearly fake sarcophagus, and one of them already opened in Johns' hand. "Unless you would rather dehydrate yourself further with that."

He looks between me and his bottle. "I think I'd rather drink something I know hasn't been poisoned."

I look at him square in the eye, pulling another bottle from my bag and cracking the lid open, and taking a swig from it myself. I then close the bottle and toss it to him. "Satisfied it isn't poisoned?" I ask, more snark in my tone than I've had to use in a long time.

He still gives me a wary look, but drinks from the bottle anyway. "I suppose."

"Good." I then grab a bottle for Carolyn and the dealer in there with him, tossing them in before marching off to find the others in another compartment of the cargo bay.

Hope you enjoyed. Don't own either Harry Potter or Chronicles of Riddick


	3. Chapter 3

Riddick POV

The second I know I'm alone in this part of the ship, I look through the rip of the replaced blindfold at my surroundings, or more particularly, up. _Sloppy Johns, must be losing your touch,_ I think to myself, seeing the not-so-clean break in the beam above and behind me. I clench my fists and slowly stand up, rising to the balls of my feet and lifting my arms as I go. I can feel the muscles straining as I get as high as I can, then grunt as I force my shoulders out of their sockets, and back in as I move them through the break in the beam. I leap forward as far as I can, grabbing what I had correctly assumed to be a cutting torch, and cut off the cuffs on my hand and feet, and pull off the bit that asshole had the nerve to force onto me. I grab a pair of dark goggles someone must have left lying around, and take off, carrying the bit to leave a trail for Johns to follow towards sunset, while I plan to go the other way.

As I make my way away from the phony trail, I see a ball of light rising in the direction I want to go. "You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me," I growl in annoyance. Three suns. What planet needs _three fuckin' suns_? I don't let it daunt me, but it still annoys the shit out of me. Why did I think I needed to get a shine job on my eyeballs again? It'll be worth shit out here, if there ain't gonna be any night time here.

Damn you Johns.

Jamie POV

Johns comes running back after having discovered that Riddick escaped, a severely peeved expression and angry stance nobody can miss. "Find any weapons you can people, Riddick's loose."

Paris, the antique dealer who I get the impression of being a total coward, pales as his breathing picks up. "Wh-what? H-how did he get away?"

"Dunno, but I don't plan on finding out. Find any kind of weapon that might be usable," he growls, sending the man skittering back to the cargo bay to hunt through his assorted antiques, I assume. "Jamie, right?" he asks me, pulling my attention right into his baby blue eyes. "You got any weapons we can use?"

I shrug. "I have one, and can figure out some more in a pinch," I hint, not telling him that I actually have magic, or a rather nice collection of shivs and swords besides my wand in my bag, which he still hasn't realized is where I have all of my things. "I can't teach anyone how to use it properly though, so I'll keep it ready."

He nods curtly, and I go outside, carrying the things Shazza asked me to fetch outside for her to rig together breathing equipment for herself and the others. The hollow metal tubing, rubber mouthpieces, and nylon straps almost overflow from my arms as I make my way outside, where Zeke is heading in to talk to the others to find out what's going on.

I drop everything on the metal slab she's turned into a worktable, and she turns to me. "Are you sure you don't want a tank?" she asks again.

"Yes, Shazza, I'm sure. I'm used to breathing thin air, so this doesn't bother me in the slightest," I inform her yet again, only tolerant because her concern is genuine.

"Just between us and the desert, how do you plan to tell everyone just how you carried all that water around at once with that dinky bag of yours, or that you're… you know?" she asks, raising the topic I hadn't put any thought into.

I bite my lip and fiddle with a rubber mouthpiece. "I haven't really thought of it, and I didn't really plan to tell anyone else. Maybe Imam and the kids, they seem to like me well enough… but I don't think I can trust the others not to freak out or gang up on me."

"I can't blame you," she responds after a moment. "Johns and Fry seem to be getting along, but they both like power a bit too much for my taste. I also think Paris will do something stupid that'll get us hurt, and I don't like to think of what Riddick might do if he finds out about you."

I smirk at her. "Don't worry about Riddick, he already agreed not to cause me too much trouble. I doubt he'd want to do anything to a reliable source of water." Though I feel like I should remember something more than that, I just can't call it to mind. "Out of curiosity, how did you find me in the wreck?"

"Oh, that's actually something I hoped you could tell me. You were lying on the ground bleeding, but not on top of any of the rubble all over the place," she informs me. "And I can't be sure, but I think there were handprints of blood on your shirt, like someone much bigger than you had tried to stop the bleeding."

I frown in thought. "Huh, you'd think I might remember if that had happened."

"Yeah, I hoped you might have known something about that." She would keep going, but then the other survivors pile out of the passenger hold, all holding some kind of war picks I recognize as a relic of ancient India on Earth, from long before even my time.

"What in the blazes…" I mutter, watching in astonishment as Paris exits, carrying a ridiculously large shield on one arm that makes the rest of him sag with the effort of holding it up. "Does he really think that… thing is going to actually protect him?" I whisper to Shazza, keeping an eye on the timid man as he marches off to look for what I can only assume might be a lookout position.

"He struck me as being rather intelligent before," she murmurs in amusement. "I hope he remembers that thing is an antique before he tries using it."

I raise a brow, and she chuckles darkly. "Come on," I encourage her by handing her the tubing I had attached a mouthpiece to, before seeing Jack approaching. "Hey Jack," I greet the child, who carries his water carefully.

"Hi Jamie."

I take the oxygen unit that Shazza offers and arrange it over his thin shoulders. "You suck on this, and you get air… in theory. Test it for me?"

He obeys, and instantly grins as I hear the mechanism working to provide the air. "It good?" Shazza inquires as she finishes with the next one.

He nods enthusiastically, on the brink of laughter. "Yeah, thanks Shazza."

She smiles softly, before calling the other survivors to come collect one, two tanks for each person. I grab one as I notice Johns isn't with the others flocking to us, too deep in his thoughts on how to find Riddick, I discover with a mild legilimency. I step up to him carefully, making sure he sees me as no threat.

The second he realizes I'm right in front of him, he straightens up with a mild sneer. "What?"

I roll my eyes as I offer him the breathing unit. "Thought you'd like to breathe like the others." I then frown, somewhat curious about something. "Look, I know we started out on the wrong foot, and I'm sorry for that, but I was being honest about wanting no trouble."

"Yeah, I understand that," he accepts the unit with a small charming smile. "I just worried that you were gonna make yourself someone of interest to the Big Guy."

I smile. "I have a bit of a tendency to catch unwanted attention, so I thank you for the concern… but I would like to know, just how worried should I be?"

He smirks, almost sadly. "You should be terrified. He's a ruthless killer, does just about anything to survive, and has at least sixty confirmed kills. I only barely managed to catch him a couple days before we took off."

I nearly gape, and merely raise a brow. "He's truly that dangerous, Johns?"

"Only to humans," he mutters as he drapes the strap of the unit over his shoulder.

"Okay, well, thanks for telling me. Are you planning to do anything to try recapturing him?" I ask, just as I turn away from the charming man.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go with Carolyn and Imam as they look for more resources and civilization. Why, wanna come with us?" he asks, getting a small laugh out of me.

"I'll join you for a little bit, but I'm gonna make my way back if you have to go very far," I accept his invitation as we make our way back to the others, just as Paris comes jogging back, breathing labored without a breathing unit.

"People, you might want to see this," he gasps, pointing back to where he came from, in the direction of the cargo bay.

I look in the direction he indicates, and whistle under my breath. "Three suns?" Jack asks rhetorically, in utter disbelief.

"Bloody hell," Shazza breathes, recounting the suns that set far behind her.

"We shall take this as a good sign," Imam proclaims, grinning as he holds his arm around Hassan's shoulders. "A sign from Allah, a path we should follow. Blue sun, means blue water."

"That's actually not such a good sign," Johns nearly growls from beside me. "Riddick went that way."

Carolyn frowns as she points towards sunset. "I thought you said his trail went the other way."

He grins at her as he pulls out his pistol, walking over to Zeke. "It's something he likes to do, drop a false trail and go the other way." As he approaches the man, I can see him pull back the slide on his clearly customized pistol. "Zeke, safety's off. One shot if you see him, got it?"

"Yeah, man," he mutters, taking the gun and setting the safety.

Paris runs up to Johns in fear. "What should happen if Mr. Riddick sees us first, then what?"

The cop shakes his head with a nearly silent chuckle. "Then there won't be any shots." He leaves the poor man gaping, almost resembling a fish out of water. He addresses those of us who plan to go out, "Let's get going."

Riddick POV

I can smell that beautiful girl following my trail, not alone, but with a small group including the so-called 'Captain' and that asshole Johns. I hold the bone shiv tightly in my hand as I hide in the dark ribcage, hidden in a shaded spot perfect for watching them as they walk by without being seen myself. I have to continue thinking Johns is losing his touch- he walked right past me and didn't even think to look closer.

I don't know whether to be insulted or proud of that.

"There's nothing here," Johns calls out to the group.

That Arab voice from before, the holy man, echoes through the graveyard. "Sadly, but also fortunate for us."

"We need to keep moving, we can't rely on Jamie to have enough water to last forever out here," the Captain's voice, loud, but heavy with disguised guilt.

"You all go on ahead," the girl's, Jamie's, voice rings out with that accent I still can't place. Similar to the female prospector's, but distinctly different. And so fucking familiar it irritates the shit out of me. "I want to look around a little more, then head back."

I raise a brow at this, tilting my head in curiosity, slipping over to hide in the shadows of the ribcage right behind her. She has guts, standing so close to the shadows with her back turned.

"Don't think that's such a good idea, Jamie," Johns calls back, insistent as he tries to urge her to go with him. I think I'm starting to like this little girl, who only reaches to my collarbone if she's lucky.

The fiery little redhead crosses her arms and leans her head forward. "I'll be fine on my own, and besides, what's he gonna do to me? Play at being the big bad wolf? I'm not scared."

He sighs in agitation, and I see him run his fingers through his hair. "I really don't think you being alone out here is a good idea," he insists.

She juts out a hip, one leg straightened. "You really want to argue with me on this?" she asks in a low, almost dangerous, whisper. Curious- I didn't think she was much of a threat at first. Maybe I'm losing my touch as well, and this fucking planet isn't helping. Especially with no water.

"Johns, let her do what she wants," their captain sighs. "There's not gonna be any changing her mind. Captain Jay told me about an incident a few months ago when she refused to do what some fool in a bar wanted. Don't be her next victim," she pretty much begs, a minute fear filling the air at first, then nearly flooding my senses from both of the other men, the curious children clueless in their inability to understand English.

He sighs and turns around. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you if you get attacked by Riddick."

I can almost hear her smirking. "I'll see you all back at the ship," she calls, waving at their backs before snorting to herself. "You're right behind me, aren't you Riddick?" she calls back quietly, after being sure that the rest of her group has left hearing range.

I smirk clap my hands twice. "Well done, Jamie," I applaud her as I move further into the shadows, before she slips into the shade, joining me. "Now why would the little girl be so certain of herself when facing an escaped convict with a known track record?"

She shrugs. "I'm bored, and I'm not alone here," she says so casually, pulling a small beaded bag forward. "Also, I thought you might want a drink." Somehow, she pulls a small jug of water out of that tiny bag. What the fuck?

"How the hell did you do that?" I ask, clenching my shiv tighter.

She winks at me- little Minx. "Magic," she whispers conspiratorially, holding out the water, and I can almost smell the energy dripping from that bottle, and feel the unbreakable cold it radiates in the heat. "Well? You want it or not?" she teases.

I take a large step forward, and she doesn't lose that spark of mischief- she has the audacity to smirk up at me, even as she takes a step back as I go around her outstretched hand. I keep going forward until I have her backed up against the ribs, and I feel the insecurity welling up, a minimal fear scenting the air around her. How… interesting. I lean over her, caging her in with my arms resting on either side of her. "Care to tell me just what it is that you've done with that water, Minx?" She shivers in response.

"Kept it nice and cold for you, Riddick. Would you rather it be hotter than hell?"

I lower my face, closer to her own, and stare into her eyes, the brightest green that I find too damn mesmerizing for my own good. Like something I remember from my childhood, now that I think on it. I take a deep breath, and grin at the flowery, sugary, but electric scent so unique to her. "Well, would you look at that, Harriet. You did keep that promise after all."

She smiles up at me, and I'll be damned if I can't smell sorrow filling the air as regret fills her eyes. "It's not like I wanted to stay away, Riddick. I just… couldn't stay nearby anymore. People were getting suspicious, started asking questions."

I growl lowly, leaning even closer. "Questions I'm thinking right now."

She sighs, closing her eyes in resignation I remember all too well. "I wouldn't know where to begin." She stiffens under my gaze, drops the jug into the sandy ground, and roughly shoves at me. "I need to get back, Riddick. I have to get to the ship!"

Then I hear it for myself: three gunshots in rapid succession. From the ship.

Shit.


	4. Chapter 4

Jamie POV

I shove at Riddick, who doesn't budge in the slightest, as Death shakes his head, and shows me the soul of a passenger I hadn't seen before. The poor guy looks like he had some rather nasty burns all over him, and his clothes were in pretty rough shape.

 _The male, Zeke, mistook him for your little Riddick. This man didn't even feel a thing,_ Death whispers to me.

I go limp, and Riddick holds me close as I practically collapse, tears rising in my eyes. "What is it? That friend of yours showin' up again?" he asks, chest rumbling gently under my ear.

I nod slowly, and he lowers us to the ground. "He said that… Zeke thought he saw you, and accidentally killed someone else… it was another survivor…" I whisper, suddenly drained from everything.

He hesitantly pulls me closer into his arms, running a hand through my long hair I had forgotten to tie up. "At least it was quick," he whispers soothingly, before picking up the water and taking a swig before offering it to me. "I know you don't really need it, but it'll help, Harriet."

I take a small drink from the bottle before giving it back. I then smile. "Remember how we used to be in opposite positions doing this?" I suddenly ask him.

He chuckles as he lifts me up. "Yeah, especially when you first found me in that alley."

"I find it hard to believe that was only seventeen years ago, and that you were so small at any point in your life," I muse, thinking on how I found him beat up after his first kill at age eight. "I honestly can't remember why you chose to put up with me for as long as you did before I vanished again."

"Someone had to keep an eye on you, with all the trouble you said you used to get into," he shoots back with amusement, but quietly as he walks back out into the sunlight. "Though I still haven't figured out how you even lived past age eleven. Seriously, your luck is almost cursed."

I laugh quietly, and bury my head into his shoulder. "I'm assuming you're just going to carry me all the way back at this rate?" I ask after at least half an hour.

He smirks down at me. "I could drag you along if you'd prefer, Minx," he purrs down at me, squeezing me slightly.

I feel my face heating up madly. "Riddick!" I squeal, embarrassed but still letting him do as he wishes, burying my face into his shoulder once more. I can feel the soft vibrations of his laughter rumbling in his torso as I close my eyes, blocking out the bright blue sun.

He goes at a calm, relaxed pace, almost careless, for a long time, before I open my eyes slowly, finding he's already brought us back to the field of curious spires, the ship fragments visible not too far off. "I think you should go back to the ship, Harriet," he mutters as he sets me on my feet, more gently than I think he's even aware of. "I'm gonna check something out before I head back." He hands me the jug hesitantly. "Hang on to this for me."

I nod and turn away from him. "I'll simply forget to mention our interaction to Johns if he realizes I didn't leave a trail leading back here."

He smirks down at me, before turning away. "I think Johns has more to be worried about than a missing trail." I shake my head as I turn away, beginning to make my own way towards the camp, when I see a form moving closer towards me, which Death moves towards quickly.

"No," I whisper, holding back tears.

 _I smile sadly down at the ten-year-old Furyan before me. "Richard, you know that I can't stay with you anymore. I have to go."_

 _He glares up at me with his gleaming silver eyes. "Why? You said you would take care of me."_

 _I bow my head in regret. "You have to understand, I can't stay here anymore. People are growing suspicious of me, I've been here too long already." I stare into his eyes, calling up the will to perform the one spell on him I wish I didn't ever have to. "But I promise, Richard. I will come back into your life, someday. Remember that."_

 _I cast the silent legilimens, breaking into his mind and placing a simple block on all of his memories of me, of his heritage, and planting new ones in their place. He will think his eyes to be a surgical procedure rather than something he was born with. He will not be able to tell anyone of my continued existence. But he will, when I return to his life, trade those memories for the true ones._

 _I blink back tears as he turns away, a frown on his face. "I'm so sorry, Richard," I whisper, before apparating away. I just hope that it's enough to protect him until we meet again._

I pull myself from the memory of our parting in time to see Zeke enter the grave he had dug while we were gone. Even I can sense the end of his life, mere moments away. I still try to get to him, running even though my feet can barely get any purchase on the loose ground. Just meters away from the hole, from being able to save him, he screams in agony and terror. The gun fires repeatedly.

"ZEKE!" I scream, jumping into the hole to grab his thrashing legs. "ZEKE! KEEP SHOOTING AT IT!" I scream to be heard over his screaming and shooting, before he's ripped from my grasp, his blood spraying over me as he vanishes into the hole that he couldn't have made alone. "NO! ZEKE!"

"ZEKE?!" Shazza cries from above me, as I finally register the clicks and growls echoing from within the tunnel.

Strong hands grasp my arms, hauling me out of the hole. "Damn," I faintly hear Riddick curse. "C'mon, answer me," he whispers in my ear, barely more than a growl.

"It… it took… it took him…" I whimper, closing my eyes as I feel his arms wrap around me once more, and I lean into him, crying for the loss.

Fry POV

I gape at the scene we come running back to. Shazza is staring into the hole where Zeke was burying the dead, tears slipping down her cheeks, and Jamie is covered in blood, obviously not her own, in shock, wrapped in Riddick's arms, crying into his chest.

"Get off'a her!" Johns snarls, pulling out his baton.

"Don't!" Imam shouts, grabbing the cop's arm before he can run up and attack the convict. "He isn't harming anyone!"

"It took him…" Jamie gasps, rambling at this point. "I… I tried… I'm sorry…"

I move to kneel beside Shazza, and rest a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?" I ask softly, glancing into the grave to find no bodies, but a lot of blood. Too much blood.

"I heard… I heard the gunshots, and… and shouting from both of them…" she pauses to wipe her tears away, but I see them still welling in her eyes. "I got here and saw her just sitting there covered in blood… staring at that hole when… Riddick came along. He got her out of the pit just… just after I got here…" she manages between gasping for air. "I don't know what it was… it wasn't Riddick…"

I glare at Johns, who looks like he's itching to beat Riddick to get him away from Jamie, who I see trusts him enough to let herself break down completely. He looks like he's a bit uncomfortable, but understanding of something. Could there be a history between the two of them that none of us are aware of?

He slowly stands up, cradling the bloody girl in his arms and turns to go back to the wreck. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm getting outta this fuckin' sun." He walks slowly, and I watch as he bows his head slightly, probably to talk to Jamie.

But how could they know each other? He's older than her, and she doesn't seem like the type to hang out with escaped convicts. It doesn't make any sense.

Riddick POV

I get her out of sight once I get into the ship, going deeper into the wreck where it's darker so I can see without my eyes burning. I still can't believe that she managed to get away from that whole thing without a scratch, but I can't figure out why this is bothering me so much. She wasn't hurt, but the animal in me is furious that she was put into harm's way, and I can't stop it from bothering me.

" _All Furyans have mates, Riddick," Shira whispers in what I know to be another of her dreams._

 _I stare at her, and past her to the graves of millions behind her. "Why does that concern me?" I ask her sourly._

 _She smiles, clearly amused. "You are a Furyan, and you will meet your mate soon. She is close, child, and you will know it is her when the time is right." She reaches out a hand, brushing her hand over my cheek. "I promise, my little Alpha Prime."_

My mate… that's what this is. Why couldn't Shira just say it outright then? I could wring her neck if I knew she didn't have her uses, or if she wasn't already dead.

"Is she okay?" that kid, Jack, asks from the ladder by the light.

I spare her a glance, knowing from the faint scent of blood that this kid is no boy like she's leading everyone else to think she is. "Think so," I mutter, before reaching into that damn bag of hers to pull out the water jug, and it comes out with a cloth neatly folded and tucked into the handle. I shake her lightly, and she blinks up at me, tears still in her eyes, but her breathing much calmer now. "Clean up a bit," I order her, leaving the cloth and water out and moving towards the kid. "Give her some privacy, Jack," I whisper, sending the kid skittering off with a giant grin on her face.

Shaky laughter echoes from behind, and the sloshing of water tells me Harriet's listened to me. "Th-thanks," she mutters, and I hear the rustle of cloth against sloth and skin. "Sorry I broke down like that, Riddick."

I almost want to turn around to look at her, but I know enough to let her have her privacy. "At least you're talking now. What happened out there?"

I hear the shaky breath she takes in, before letting it out. "My… friend made his way to Zeke, and I couldn't let him die without a fight. I tried to warn him away from the hole, but I was too late. Something from the hole grabbed him. H-He was screaming, and shooting like mad. I grabbed him and tried to hold on, but he got pulled in by something." The water sloshes again, and she takes another breath. "I could hear sounds… clicking, and growling… a lot of it… I don't know what took him."

I turn my head slightly, and see her pulling a stick out of her bag. "What is that?" I ask, moving closer to her.

"My wand. I need to get this blood out of my clothes somehow, and I don't want to change clothes again," she explains quietly. She waves her wand over her torso, and the blood vanishes. She repeats the process with her pants, and I have to say that I'm impressed.

"Nifty little trick," I murmur, and she scoots closer to me, before I pull her into my side. "Are you alright?" I ask her, frowning as she just leans into me.

"I don't know," she answers after a moment of silence. "He knew what I was, and so does Shazza. So did the Captain. I… I'm scared anyone who knows about me won't make it out of here alive."

I smirk down at her. "I know something for sure, Minx," I whisper into her hair.

She looks up at me, eyes still a little watery, but still impossibly green to my sight. "What?"

"I'm makin' damn sure you and the kids get off this planet alive, and to someplace safe," I inform her.


	5. Chapter 5

Jamie POV

I huff at the setting blue sun, and the rising red and yellow suns. "Three suns is really overkill," I mutter to myself, taking a drink from the water bottle I've decided to share with Riddick.

He chuckles under his breath at my comment, pulling the sled of scrap metal and other knickknacks I'm sure Johns put with it just to get under Riddick's skin. "You ain't the one with sensitive eyes, Minx."

I shake my head at that, unable to deny it, as I shoot a featherlight spell at a few of the heavier pieces on the sled, making it easier to maneuver over the rocky terrain. "I'm not, but at least we won't suffer from dehydration."

"The benefits of having someone of your talents among our numbers," he chuckles.

I simply smile and continue walking along beside him in silence, only mildly curious about where Death has been these past hours.

Death POV

I curse Fate and her designs. She would send my Mistress and her Mate to a desert world, with bioraptors, of all creatures, hidden underfoot.

Even worse? She timed it so that it would happen days before the six-month long eclipse.

I can feel the upcoming deaths of most of the survivors, though I look forward to the end of that Paris fool. He is nigh useless, but at least his goods will provide light in case of any night-time escapades. The children I worry for immensely, because of the coward, who will, without a doubt, be the one to endanger them, and possibly lead to their deaths.

I do feel, however, that Riddick will keep his promise, and save my Mistress and the children. Perhaps even the holy man… yes, I will bargain with Fate for these lives. I'll trade the captain, mercenary, and coward for the children and holy man, though she may consider sparing the widowed friend of my Mistress. I can win the argument because of her timing and the previous deaths on this planet.

Riddick POV

The little Minx, I know she's lightening the sled for me when she knows better than to risk herself. Maybe I'll let it slide, since she must be making up for changing my memories when I was a kid. Doesn't mean I'll let her keep doing stuff for me, even if I appreciate it, but she's risking exposing herself to Johns if she keeps doing things with her magic.

"Minx," I warn her as she looks at the sled again. "Better cut it out before I'm not the only one noticin' your tricks."

She gives me a smirk that makes me suppress a growl. "The ones who notice won't be a cause for concern for much longer, Riddick," she almost purrs. And I'll be damned, but the animal in me wants to hide her away for all sorts of… activities, keep her away from the world. "I'll take my chances with the others."

"And what about me?" I growl in answer, taking the water she offers and nearly drain it.

"I'll take my chances," she repeats, challenging me silently.

With a grin of anticipation, I give the bottle back. "Better be careful, little Minx."

Challenge accepted.

Jamie POV

The settlement is just as dead as the surface of this world, but at least it shows there once was a human presence on this world at some point in time. But what happened to end that presence until our arrival? Was it those things that killed Zeke? Or the people killing each other in some fit of madness? Death simply shook his head when I asked what had happened hours ago, saying Fate would reveal her plans soon enough.

It was _not_ a comforting thought. Not in the slightest.

"Where is everyone?" Jack asks, appearing at my side as I walk ahead of Riddick, removing a few of the charms on the sled the further away I get, in case anyone besides Riddick handles anything about the sled. "What happened here?"

I look down at the boy, a pang of familiarity striking my heart. "I don't think I want to know," I inform him softly. He looks back into my eyes, and swallows nervously, and I know he thinks of Zeke's fate. "Jack, I want you to keep an eye on Ali, alright? And don't go into a building unless the door is open, okay?"

He nods easily. "Alright."

I give a relieved smile. "Go ahead and explore then," I order him, patting him on the back gently as he runs off to find the even younger boy.

Shazza comes over to me, and rests a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asks quietly as we stand in the middle of the abandoned settlement.

I huff a humorless laugh. "I should be asking you that," I answer, looking anywhere but at her. "I'm sorry Shazza, I tried…"

She stops me with a gentle squeeze on my shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, I heard you, and I saw you in that hole. I can't blame you for anything," she assures me. "Now come on, I want to find out who abandoned this place."

I let her lead me about the various utilitarian buildings, finding dirt-encrusted clothes hanging on rusted wire clotheslines. Several abandoned toys lie buried in the dirt, revealed as solar powered robots as I dig them out and clean off the glass domes. I find even more broken handlights buried in various locations, mostly in a trail from the housing units leading to the coring room. But on a planet where even toys are solar powered, why would they need artificial light? And ones that were so expensive two decades ago for their long-lasting batteries and extra bright light?

"This isn't making any sense," Shazza murmurs. "The cost of these would mean they were in a hurry if they left them behind."

I nod slowly, dropping the broken device and rising. "Death said he was busy when we arrived, and he's never busy enough on a new planet to mention it."

She looks carefully around. "These buildings are used by prospectors for long term stays, and scientists." She pulls me along into another building, where we find a dozen rock samples with broken drilling equipment components. "Miners?" she asks with a frown. "All of this equipment is outdated… almost antique, I'd say."

I touch the unlabeled samples, layered with dust and dirt. "They were working when something happened. Something big that caused an emergency." I look over to Shazza, whose eyes almost reflect fear. "Didn't Carolyn say something about a skiff?"

"Yeah, she said the power cells had been drained, but it should be functional with a few patches and new power cells," she informs me, pulling me away from the lab bench after looking around a little more. "Let's go see if there's anything else."

Riddick POV

I keep an eye on the Minx as she wanders about the place with the widow, but stay away so Johns won't give me a headache over my interest in her. This place has me on edge, more than usual, because we know there's something on this planet worse than me. I haven't killed anyone yet, and they've already killed one of the survivors. I'm itching to investigate, to find out why I want to run and not look back, but until Johns tells me to check things out, I can't look around.

I get my signal from Johns, so I wander away from his gaze as the widow comes over to the skiff. I catch a glimpse of that small figure and follow quietly, finding the biggest building covered in tarps and covered in dents and scratches. As she kneels in the dirt, picking up a pair of glasses, I slip behind her and wrap an arm around her waist and take the object of her attention before she can drop it.

She startles, yelping before she realizes its just Big Bad Riddick, and elbows me in the gut, making me chuckle darkly in her ear. "Damn it, Richard! You about gave me a heart attack!" she cries in exasperation.

I pull her closer, and I can see her face heating up. "So just what have you found out about these folks?" I murmur into her ear.

She leans back into my grasp after a moment. "Something happened, something they didn't anticipate. They dropped expensive lights, but didn't take the time to pick them up again, and all of them lead to a trail straight to this building." She turns her head to look up at me slightly. "Solar powered toys, no artificial lights inside the buildings; they relied on the suns for all of their light, but something scared them. They left pictures behind, clothes on the lines, toys and lights abandoned in a panic." She frowns then. "What happened with the skiff?"

"It was prepped for an emergency, and the power cells were dead, even the auxiliary power was gone," I answer quietly, hearing the slight shifting of Jack and Ali under the tarps to my left. "These people didn't make it off-world."

I let go of her as she breathes a deep sigh. "It makes sense… but where are the bodies then?" she asks just as quietly.

I stalk towards the heavy doors, and pull at them. "Locked from the inside," I murmur in surprise. "They tried keeping something out, but locked themselves in instead."


End file.
